If you’re looking for a powerful laptop in time for back-to-school season, the MacBook Pro 14- and 16-inch models are currently discounted by as much as $300 over at Best Buy, which is one of the biggest deals we’ve seen on the laptops recently. It wasn’t that long ago that all these models were $200 off, but this is a noticeably bigger discount, and if you didn’t take advantage of it before, now is the perfect time to do it.
These are the latest models of the MacBook Pro, powered by the M1 Pro chip, which has a 10-core CPU and up to a 16-core GPU. The 16-core GPU models, specifically, are the ones with a $300 discount, while the 14-inch variant with a 14-core GPU is only $200 off. In addition to that, the laptops include 16GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD, so you’re going to have a very premium experience across the board, and plenty of space for apps and files in the coming school years.
The MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro processor is a very powerful, but surprisingly efficient laptop that can deliver a ton of performance while still having great battery life, all paired with a phenomenal display.
Beyond the internal specs, the MacBook Pro 14- and 16-inch models have fantastic displays, too. The resolution is 3024 x 1964 on the 14-inch model, or 3456 x 2234 on the 16-inch version, which means they ahve the same exact pixel density. These are also Liquid Retina XDR displays, as Apple calls them. This means they’re using mini-LED technology to deliver very high contrast ratios and maximum brightness up to a whopping 1600 nits, plus they have a smooth refresh rate up to 120Hz, which can adjust on the fly.
There is a notch on the display, but it also makes way for a great 1080p webcam that’s very well suited for video calls. Aside from that, the ports include three Thunderbolt 4 connections, HDMI, an SD card reader, a headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, and MagSafe charging, which is faster than ever and adds a degree of safety since you can pull on the cable without dragging your laptop to the ground.
It’s true that Apple might be introducing a new version of the MacBook Pro later this year, but those won’t be discounted anytime soon after launch, and the current models will serve you very well for years to come. This is a great opportunity to buy them.
Samsung will release an update for the Galaxy S21 series that will allow users to safeguard their data when sent in for repair. The new ‘Repair Mode’ will retain sensitive information on the phone but will lock it out, making it inaccessible to technicians.
Samsung’s Repair Mode will allow users to selectively block off data when sending a phone in for repair. This will allow the technicians access to phones but at the same time gives users peace of mind. This mode can not only be handy for repairs sent to Samsung but it can be used even when having your device serviced by a third-party repair shop.
Repair Mode can be enabled by heading into the Settings menu and then going into the Battery and Device Care section. Once the mode is enabled, the phone will reboot, blocking access to important and personal information. In Repair Mode, the phone will still retain access to all stock applications. So, in essence, it will look like it was reset back to its factory state.
Once the repair is complete, the owner of the device can regain access to the data by either using their PIN number or fingerprint. As mentioned previously, Samsung intends to offer the new mode for the Galaxy S21 first, and then it will expand it to other devices in the future. This feature comes as no surprise, as Samsung has previously released apps like Knox and Knox Vault that aim to protect a user’s security and privacy.
Repair Mode seems like a great idea, and it could change the way repairs are performed going forward. But currently, many companies request that data be backed up, and the phone wiped to factory settings before getting it serviced. Samsung’s own instructions also currently state this. So while this process might not change overnight, it is certainly a move in the right direction.
Short format media has been dominating lately, with bite-sized and easily digestible clips gaining a resurgence thanks to apps like TikTok. Because of this, YouTube introduced its take on short-form videos called Shorts, encouraging users to experiment with shorter media on its platform. From now on, YouTube will make it easier for creators to make Shorts, allowing them to take existing content in their library, edit it, and upload their new creations to YouTube.
Creators can head to the YouTube Studio app and choose from any long-form video in their library, select up to 60 seconds, and create Shorts. Users will have access to all of the same tools found in the web-based version of YouTube Studio, like the timeline editor, filters, music, and more. Furthermore, creators can add additional footage as needed from their gallery if it does not meet the 60-second requirement. Creators will also be able to fill in content by using the Shorts camera. Best of all, Shorts created using existing videos on YouTube will have links to the original videos. The feature is currently rolling out to iOS and Android devices.
YouTube Creators!
We’re beginning to roll out the ability to make Shorts from a VOD on iOS & Android
While short-form videos are having a moment, flourishing on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, other platforms like Instagram are struggling to capitalize. Recently, Instagram released a new change to its feed, displaying full-screen images and videos. Unfortunately, this change didn’t go down well, as users began to complain en masse, requiring Instagram’s CEO to address the changes. As a result, the company eventually back-peddled, reverting the feed to its previous incarnation. Despite this, Instagram has committed itself to evolving and pursuing a future that is leaning more toward videos and away from its roots of still images. It’s hard to tell how this will all pan out, but one thing is sure, today’s trend could quickly and abruptly end as soon as tomorrow.
Samsung has historically used both Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and the in-house Exynos chips in its flagship phones over the years. That’s also true for the company’s Galaxy S22 series which is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip in markets like the US, while many of the units destined for other markets like Europe got Exynos 2200. India got a Snapdragon chip in the Samsung Galaxy S22 series for the first time, and it looks like future Galaxy S series flagships will carry a Snapdragon chip in more regions as the company is strengthening its partnership with Qualcomm. The collaboration between companies involves widening the usage of “Snapdragon platforms for future premium Samsung Galaxy products, including smartphones, PCs, tablets, extended reality, and more.”
Qualcomm’s press release for the media doesn’t explicitly mention the Galaxy S23 flagship or the regions in which it’ll carry the Snapdragon chip, but the company’s CEO Cristiano Amon made it quite clear during the earnings call that more regions will see Snapdragon-powered Galaxy flagship products — specifically S23 and beyond — as a result of this multiyear agreement.
A multi-year agreement to power more Galaxy flagships globally
Qualcomm head Amon shared additional info to add more clarity to the matter. Here’s a transcript of the statement shared by the Qualcomm head while addressing some questions during the earnings call:
Michael, thank you for the question. Yes. Look, it’s — besides the record in auto and IoT revenues, the Samsung agreement is probably my favorite thing in the quarter. And here’s the way I would describe the growth opportunity for the chipset business.
We would average over the many years of this relationship, if you remember, about 40% share versus their in-house solution with the Galaxy S22, which was prior to signing this agreement. Our share climb up to about 75%. And now we’re announcing a multiyear agreement to power the Samsung Galaxy smartphones globally.
So very excited about that. It provides incredible stability for our mobile business. I cannot think of anything better to validate our strategy to be focused on share of wallet in premium and high tier than this agreement.
So very, very exciting. I remember — I would like to remember you all that, that’s a very good trade. When I think about the silicon content of a Snapdragon 8 Series, at least equal or better than revenue and earnings of 5 modem for another OEM.
Now the second part of this multiyear agreement is the opportunity for growth tied up with our diversification. So it expands beyond Galaxy smartphones to include Galaxy books, Windows PCs, Galaxy tablets, future extended reality devices and other devices. So a very significant agreement, very excited and really the companies are much closer together.
Samsung isn’t giving up Exynos though
The fact that Samsung splits the shipments of its flagship devices across two different chipset doesn’t sit well the consumers. That’s because there’s often a clear difference in performance between Snapdragon and the Exynos-powered variants of the same phone. We ended up testing the Galaxy S22 Ultra powered by both chipsets, only to find out that the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is way better than the Exynos. The new partnership between the two companies may result in the arrival of Snapdragon-powered Galaxy flagships in more regions, but it doesn’t gurantee it for all buyers in every market.
This could mean the company will continue to plant its in-house chips inside its flagship phones in select markets. A better — perhaps a long term plan — would be lay low for sometime and come back stronger with better chipsets. If anything, this “multiyear” partnership gives more time to invest and make meaningful improvements to its SoC. The company can also leverage its recent partnership with AMD to produce morre powerful mobile GPUs. The idea of seeing more Qualcomm-powered Galaxy flagships is sure to put a smile on many faces, but it’ll be interesting to see the in-house chip making a comeback with in the future with more raw power and features.
No one could have imagined how big Google would be in 2022. The company has its hands in nearly everything and provides services to consumers and businesses. While many other Google services easily trump Gmail in scale, it still can be considered one of its tentpole offerings, with nearly 2 billion users. Since its inception in 2004, the service has grown quite a bit, evolving from a simple email service with 1GB of storage to something more fully featured with enhanced tools, making life easier when composing emails. With its latest update, Gmail will offer the best of Google Workspace and look much more modern thanks to its new look.
As digital communication has become more complex over the years, Google has done its best to create and provide tools to make communicating much more accessible. While it did tease the feature earlier in the year, Google will now take these tools and make them all readily available in Gmail. Users can also access Chat, Spaces, and Meet directly from the sidebar. To take advantage of this new view, users will have to enable Chat to see the unified view. Of course, if having all the apps visible isn’t your thing, you can always customize the look using Quick Settings.
The new UI based on Google’s Material Design 3 will roll out to users over the coming weeks, but those that want to keep the current default look will be able to do so. In addition, Gmail will continue to be as powerful as it has been, giving users a wide variety of tools like Search Chips, Smart Compose, and more. Finally, Google aims to bring a better experience to tablet users sometime later this year. So again, keep a look out for the new interface rolling out to Gmail sometime in the next few weeks.
Smartphones have been around for over a decade now. What started as a luxury product that not everyone could justify paying for has now become a quintessential part of our lives. From basic tasks, such as viewing a restaurant’s digital menu, to more complex ones, like authorizing transactions — smartphones are no longer just phones. They’re our cameras, health record storage, media library, mobile bank branch, house and car keys, trip planners, and so much more. The most popular phone manufacturers tend to release an upgrade or two per year. For example, Apple launches a new high-end iPhone lineup every fall, and it sometimes does a mid-range release in the spring. Similarly, Samsung announces new smartphones at different times of the year — offering various specs and price tags to cater to a wider audience.
When it comes to phones, we can classify its users into two camps: — enthusiasts who upgrade annually or more frequently, and the vast majority who couldn’t care less about that. The latter group just wants a phone that works. On the other hand, the former is tempted to get its hands on the latest and not-necessarily-greatest, no matter what. In my opinion, though, even a power user doesn’t need to upgrade their phone yearly at this point.
When a company releases a product that belongs to a new category, the first few generations usually pack a ton of improvements. As the device matures, innovation slows down. Let’s take the iPhone as an example. The original iPhone reimagined what a phone can look like and do. The following release introduced 3G support and the App Store for third-party apps. These changes are notable enough to push users to upgrade. Skipping the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 introduced a modern design and FaceTime support. The phone was gradually starting to shape up.
Year after year, the element of excitement started to fade away when Apple launched new iPhones. There were some noteworthy moments, like when it introduced Touch ID, the bigger iPhone 6, and then finally the notched iPhone X with Face ID. It would make sense for someone with an iPhone 5 to buy an iPhone 6. However, upgrading from an iPhone 7 to an iPhone 8 wouldn’t be as reasonable. An annual phone upgrade lost its significance — as we further advanced in this department. Some people can’t even tell the difference between an iPhone 12 Pro and an iPhone 13 Pro.
Similarly, Android phones have almost fully matured, too. Companies can no longer come up with releases as mind-blowing as those of yesteryear. We’ve figured out how to master smartphones, and we almost have. It’s normal and expected to reach this point — where new changes are a bunch of bumped numbers that mean nothing to most users.
2. Future-proof phones are now affordable
Back in the day, buying an affordable phone came with frustrations — mostly revolving around performance. Low-end and mid-range phones would typically start slowing down after a few months of active use. This pushed many people to upgrade often, as they’d start dealing with “you’ve run out of storage” alerts and other annoyances fairly quickly in the phone cycle. That’s not to mention that we passed through a phase during which app updates started getting notably larger. This ruined the experience for those who had phones with low storage capacities.
Things have changed now. Whether you buy the iPhone SE 3 or almost any other middle-range Android device, it easily survives for at least a few years. Manufacturers are promising more years of software support, and the minimum technical specifications are now decent and acceptable — relatively speaking. So even those not investing in a high-end phone shouldn’t be feeling any pressure towards a yearly upgrade.
3. Battery repairs sometimes replace a phone upgrade
A person may want to upgrade their phone because their current one irritates them. Many factors can fuel this frustration. However, what many users don’t necessarily realize is that sometimes the solution doesn’t have to be a phone upgrade. “My battery barely lasts me for a few hours” is a common complaint we hear when someone starts planning to upgrade. So, why do we replace the whole phone when replacing the battery can be enough?
Granted, battery replacements have gotten significantly difficult from the early days of smartphones. Removable batteries haven’t been a thing on mainstream phones for a while now, and glass sandwiches are notoriously difficult to maneuver for a battery swap. But they are still largely possible and cheap enough to consider once your phone crosses the 2-year mark. If you bought a flagship, you can eke out another year or two of great performance out of it before considering a swap over to a new phone.
Switched out the battery and still unhappy with the performance? Sometimes a factory reset fixes that. By starting over, you delete all of the unnecessary, cached data and get a fresh experience. Back when I used to carry an Android phone, I’d perform a factory reset every now and then. That had a notable, positive impact on the performance (or at least enough of a placebo effect) — despite it being a hassle.
4. Software updates rejuvenate the experience
One great thing about smartphones is software updates. Typically, Apple and Google release one major update per year to iOS and Android OS respectively. These usually come with user-facing changes and additions that enrich the operating systems. They’re not the mundane bug fixes and security patches we see almost monthly. So even if you’re not carrying the latest phone available, your device will look similar to it after the software upgrade. Yes, the hardware won’t change. However, the user interface and the new packed perks will look similar — for the most part.
Personally, WWDC means more to me than the iPhone fall event. Why? Compare the difference between iOS 15 and iOS 16 to that between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups. That’s why. iOS 16 introduces a customizable Lock Screen with support for widgets, rich iMessage and Mail features, etc. Now ask an average user to tell you the difference between the aforementioned iPhone generations — they’d probably be clueless. The introduction of Material You on Android is a similar story. When we use our phones, we interact with the software more than the hardware. That’s why a mere software update can substitute the annual phone upgrade for many users.
5. Your current phone camera doesn’t need an upgrade
One of the many reasons a person might want to upgrade their phone is getting their hands on a better camera. Every year, phone manufacturers typically make improvements that result in better photo and video output. Whether it be through the lenses or the chip and software processing, we almost always get a bump in the camera department. This is often used as a selling point and a motivator to pressure undecided users into upgrading.
Though the million-dollar question is — do you actually need this slightly better camera system? Likely not. Modern smartphone cameras are already powerful enough for you to build a vibrant library of memories. That’s not to mention that your favorite social media platforms tend to compress your uploaded photos and videos. And then there is the fact that people viewing that content may not be viewing it on ideal displays either. Additionally, even if you’re viewing the full-quality, local copies, you likely won’t be able to tell the difference between slightly different resolutions.
Yes, some camera features are groundbreaking, like Samsung’s Space Zoom. However, this is just an exception. A phone’s camera doesn’t usually get an upgrade as big every single year. So skipping a smartphone generation or two won’t really have a drastic impact on your life or its digital documentation. In most real-life scenarios, the mere presence of a camera is more important than the fine details coming out of the photograph — you’d be just fine with an older phone.
6. Many selling points are mere marketing gimmicks
When companies announce new smartphones, they try to tempt you with all sorts of shiny specifications. “For the first time ever, the Banana Phone comes with 5G support!!” They promise you incredible speeds that you can only achieve under ideal conditions. But the harsh truth is — we live in a far-from-ideal world. In reality, 5G has been a disappointment so far. Users aren’t getting the maximum speeds corporations boast about in keynotes. Additionally, even if you achieve the full speeds — what do you need it for? 4G/LTE is already fast enough to stream high-quality content on the go. The instability and increased battery drain are just not worth it for most users.
Similarly — the slightly more shatter-resistant glass this new phone upgrade will get most probably won’t affect you in any way. No matter how resilient the front and back glass panels are, dropping your phone at a certain angle from a certain height on a certain material is going to crack it. It’s all about how careful and how lucky you are. Yes, the used glass has improved over the years. However, the difference between a single generation is almost always unnoticeable. This will get us to our next point — processors.
7. You don’t need the fastest chip for your Instagram scroll
With every major phone upgrade, manufacturers tend to give the processor a performance bump. This used to matter in the past because smartphone chips started out as rather slow. Every new generation would make an impact, and older phones would quickly lose support for newer system and app updates. This is no longer the case. Phones from a few years ago can still run the latest versions of the most popular apps. Just because the 2022 chip is 20% as fast as that of 2021 doesn’t mean it’ll actually affect your experience in any way. In fact, there’s a big chance you’re not unleashing the 2021 chip’s full potential in the first place. This will bring us to the next point — we’re past major breakthroughs in the phone upgrade department.
8. The smartphone is in a transitioning period
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but the smartphone party is over — wrap it up! Smartphones were exciting once upon a time. They used to move us, to actually stir our emotions through their advanced offerings. Now they’re just meh to many of us. That’s because, as I’ve mentioned earlier, they’ve matured. There’s nothing left to add, not in a major way at least. Companies have had around 15 years to learn from their mistakes and build a solid foundation to reach where we are today. They’ve already mastered the format, and this becomes obvious when the only noticeable difference between the two generations of phones is the slightly shifted camera locations.
Now we wait for the next big thing. This could be a mixed-reality headset, eyewear of some sort, or who knows what else. Until then, newer phones will likely remain tweaked iterations of their predecessors. It’s unfair of us to expect corporations to blow our minds every single year at this point. Additionally, as a consumer, by not adopting the annual phone upgrade habit, you’re also, in a way, pressuring these companies into coming up with more impressive and innovative products. Blindly buying every single model is validation to them. Don’t give them that if they haven’t earned it.
Realistically speaking, the next step on the smartphone timeline could be foldables. This category of devices is slowly starting to take off, and manufacturers are filling the gaps of previous-gen models with every new release. Foldables could act as a bridge between regular smartphones and the next form of mainstream mobile devices. After all, if mixed-reality headsets indeed end up replacing the phone, it will likely take a few years before the masses adopt them. Ultimately, it’s still in its early, emerging phase, and what’s next remains vague for now.
9. Give Mother Nature a much-needed hug
One of the most important aspects that users either forget about or simply ignore is the environment. The more frequently you upgrade, the more you harm our nature. Whether it be through the manufacturing process, packaging, or shipping — it all pollutes Earth. Skipping an unnecessary phone upgrade is greener than upgrading annually and recycling the older unit. If we can’t collectively take more responsibility for what we’ve done to the only inhabitable planet we’re aware of, then we’re in for some very deep… problems.
10. Set some Benjamins aside
While you wait for the next big thing — which could cost more than a typical smartphone, especially in its early days — save some money. Even if you’re wealthy, you could always treat yourself to something more meaningful than an annual upgrade that doesn’t bring you any value. If Lana Del Rey and Chris Evans can hold onto their iPhones for like half a decade, then so can you. Ultimately, it’s your money and decision — we’re not arguing about that. I’m merely pointing out that an average user (and, arguably, even a power user) doesn’t need to upgrade their phone annually. Unless you are a reviewer or have a job that revolves around needing the latest smartphones and gadgets, then there’s no point in upgrading your smartphone annually.
Once upon a time, buying the latest smartphone equated to getting one’s hands on original technologies. That ship has sailed a long time ago. Just focus on the past few keynotes from a given manufacturer — they likely introduced the same device over and over again throughout the year with a few tweaks here and there. Now a breakthrough in this field only occurs once every several years. If you don’t find these 10 reasons convincing, then go ahead and resume your annual phone upgrade cycle.
How often do you upgrade your phone, and why? Let us know in the comments section below.
When you buy a Dell XPS laptop, you’re buying some of the best that money can buy. You’re getting a premium aluminum laptop and an immersive InfinityEdge display. Ultimately, you’re buying the best that Dell has to offer. With the Dell XPS 13 Plus, you’re still getting that, but the company is getting a bit more experimental.
It comes with a border-less haptic touchpad, which makes it feel like it’s a laptop from the future. On top of that, the function keys are capacitive, with light-up buttons across the top of the keyboard. Even the keyboard itself is different. It stretches from one side to the other, with larger keys and no more space between them.
It’s not perfect, as no laptop is. Dell stuck with a 720p webcam, making it one of very few Intel Evo laptops that hasn’t upgraded to FHD. Also, while there’s more power under the hood from the 28W CPU, it’s a mixed bag of results that range from issues with sustained performance, to sucking down battery life.
As always, it has a best-in-class display, and this model is 3.5K OLED, just another thing that puts it over the top. As always, Dell has produced a win with the XPS 13 Plus.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is available now from a variety of channels, starting at $1,299.99
It comes in Platinum and Graphite
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is available now from Dell.com, and you can also find select configurations, such as the OLED models, as other retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon. The base model starts at $1,299, and that gets you a Core i5, 8GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an FHD+ display. It comes in Graphite and Platinum.
The model that Dell sent me includes a Core i7-1280P, 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 3.5K OLED display, so it’s a bit nicer than the base model. As configured, this unit costs $1,949.
Dell XPS 13 Plus specs
Processor
12th Generation Intel Core i7-1280P (24MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz, 14 cores)
Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery) x2
USB-C to USB-A 3.0 adapter (included in the box)
USB-C to 3.5mm headset adapter (included in the box)
Keyboard
Platinum Backlit English Keyboard with Fingerprint Reader
Webcam
720p at 30 fps HD RGB camera, 400p at 30 fps IR camera, dual-array microphones
Audio
Dual stereo speakers (tweeter + woofer), Realtek ALC1319D, 2 W x 2 = 4 W total
Design: From the outside, it just looks like a Dell XPS 13
It weighs in at 2.77 pounds
Made out of all aluminum, it comes in Platinum and Graphite colors
There are just two Thunderbolt 4 ports
Like all Dell XPS laptops, the XPS 13 Plus 9320 is made out of CNC-machined aluminum. It comes in at 2.77 pounds for the OLED model, which, for the most part, is about as light as it gets on an aluminum laptop. Once you go beyond that, you start looking at other materials like magnesium alloys, which tend to feel less premium.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus, on the other hand, feels very premium. It comes in either Platinum or Graphite with a matte finish on the lid. The model that Dell sent me for review is Platinum, and it has a white interior. Interestingly, all of the accessories in the box are black. Historically, Dell has included white accessories with white XPS laptops, although it’s possible that it just stopped doing that because there is no more white XPS 13 or XPS 13 2-in-1.
Made out of CNC-machined aluminum, every bit of it feels premium, just like every Dell XPS laptop.
Ultimately, the exterior design of the Dell XPS 13 Plus really isn’t that different from XPS 13 laptops of previous generations. That’s particularly true of the Platinum model. The Graphite one is that color on the lid, which we haven’t seen from XPS laptops in the past. The same can be said for the new XPS 13 colors, Umber and Sky.
As far as ports go, there are just two. You’ll find Thunderbolt 4 ports on each side, which is actually quite nice. Most Windows laptops that I review still put both USB Type-C ports on one side, which means that at some point, the charging cable will get in your way. Having one on each way is a nice way to solve that. It’s actually more expensive for the OEM to do this, so it’s nice that Dell actually did.
Thunderbolt 4 isn’t just for charging though. You can get data transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps, you can connect dual 4K displays on a single port, or you can connect an 8K display. You can even use it to connect an external GPU, just in case you want to pair up the 28W CPU with more powerful graphics.
Of course, the more likely use case is just to connect a Thunderbolt dock, which you can use to add an array of USB Type-A ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, or something else.
The key thing to note about the design is that like all Dell XPS laptops, it definitely feels premium.
Display: One of the best displays on a laptop
The 3.5K OLED display is gorgeous
Non-OLED options are pretty great too
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 has the four display options that are common for XPS these days. There’s a 1,920×1,200 non-touch option, a 1,920×1,200 touch option, 3.5K OLED, and 4K IPS. Dell sent me the 3.5K OLED model, and as always, it’s lovely.
I want to be clear, however, that they’re all lovely. I’ve reviewed so many XPS laptops and I’ve experienced all of these configurations. On any color gamut test, they score in the 90% range. You’ll get better battery life with FHD+, but you’re sacrificing pixels for it. The 3.5K and 4K options look great, but of course, they tax the battery.
The display is best-in-class.
Speaking of color gamut tests, this laptop supports 100% sRGB, 94% NTSC, 96% Adobe RGB, and 100% P3, which is some of the best results that you’ll find on a laptop. Dell also puts up these kinds of numbers on its IPS displays, which is pretty much unheard of anywhere else.
Brightness maxed out at 386.2 nits, falling a bit short of the 400-nit promise. Contrast maxed out at 12,920:1, and of course, it’s that high thanks to the OLED display.
Unfortunately, the webcam is still 720p, making Dell’s XPS 13 and XPS 13 Plus some of the only Intel Evo-certified laptops that don’t have FHD webcams. Dell is pretty upfront about the fact that it prioritizes narrow bezels and an immersive experience above all else. Unfortunately, in the age of working from home, that webcam is important.
On a side note, there is an IR camera up there for Windows Hello facial recognition, so that’s always nice.
Keyboard and touchpad: A border-less touchpad, capacitive keys, and more
It has capacitive function keys
There’s a haptic touchpad without a border
The keys are big but they’re not islanded
You’ve probably heard people (like me) call this laptop futuristic, and an example of what a modern laptop should be. This is the section where we’re going to talk about that.
First of all, Dell got a little experimental with the keyboard. The keys are not islanded, meaning there’s no space between them. That means that the keys are bigger, but if you’re not a precise typist, you might find yourself making mistakes. There’s a reason that all other products that had keys that weren’t islanded, eventually made the transition to islanded. For example, see Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 Type Cover, which became islanded the year after. The same goes for Huawei’s MateBook E series.
It’s something to be aware of, but I have to say, I kind of like it. I’ve found the keyboard to be weirdly accurate, maybe because it goes edge-to-edge and the keys are just that big. But also, this keyboard is really comfortable to type on. The keys have just the right amount of depth and required force. They feel delightful to type on, and I have to say, I don’t sing these praises about Dell laptops much. Normally, they’re just good but never the best.
And then there are the capacitive function keys. When this was announced, it was immediately compared to Apple’s Touch Bar, which was not well received. I think it’s fine. It feels a bit weird that there’s no haptic feedback when you press the buttons, and sometimes, I definitely had to tap them more than once to get the desired effect.
What I do like about it is that if you hold the Fn key, it switches to standard F-number keys. I don’t know about you, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pressed a function key, not sure if I have to hold Fn or not. This way, it’s easy to tell which one you’re hitting. So, not only is it a modern change, but it does feel like a practical one.
I saved the best for last. The haptic touchpad does not have a border, which might just be your biggest question mark if you’re thinking of throwing down a couple thousand dollars for this laptop.
Using the Dell XPS 13 Plus feels like living in the future.
When it was announced, Dell said that you should naturally be able to tell where the touchpad ends, just from muscle memory. For the most part, that’s true. If you go to click or right-click, you’ll probably know where to click. The bigger problem is dragging and dropping things. If you drag your finger off of the touchpad, you’ll immediately have to start over with whatever operation you were doing.
The touchpad is made by Aito, a company that could have actually made a haptic touchpad that could span across the whole palm rest if Dell wanted it to. Of course, if it did that, then there would be a whole lot of palm rejection technology that would have to go into it. Now, that kind of smart tech is what I want to see from the laptop of the future.
But in the meantime, this is a step toward it. Like I said, most of the time, you should do just fine without the border. Unfortunately, it’s pretty frustrating when it doesn’t work.
Performance: It uses 28W CPUs
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is the only member of this year’s XPS family to use Intel’s new 28W processors
The interesting thing about this year’s flagship laptops is that they all use different processors. Typically, Intel has one line of processors that’s aimed at ultrabooks and convertibles, and those products all include those chips. With Intel’s 12th-generation processors, that’s not the case.
With 12th-gen, there’s a new hybrid architecture, using big cores and little cores. This is something we’ve seen from Arm processors for years, using big cores for tasks that require a lot of power, and little cores for tasks that don’t, so something like syncing notifications doesn’t have to suck down battery life. The goal is better power management.
With this, Intel has introduced a range of SKUs. It has the typical 9W and 15W U-series processors, and now there’s the new 28W P-series. Not only does the P-series have a higher TDP, but it has more performance cores, or P-cores. That’s what you’ll find in the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
But for comparison, Lenovo’s Yoga 9i also uses the P-series, HP’s Spectre x360 13.5 uses 15W U-series, and the regular Dell XPS 13 uses a 9W U-series processor that’s boosted to 12W. Some new laptops, like HP’s Pavilion Plus, offers a choice between U-, P-, and H-series (H-series is 45W) CPU. It’s kind of a confusing mess, but it means more choice for consumers, which is always good.
The problem is that the boost in performance isn’t linear. There are some cases where I’ve seen the 15W U-series outperform the 45W H-series; however, these more powerful chips will do better in multitasking, as they do have more performance cores.
These benchmarks were actually achieved by going into the My Dell app and shifting it from optimized to “ultra performance”. That does things like putting the fan on max to keep the processor cool. Still, I’d love to have seen it score better.
I’ve tested several P-series laptops now, along with several H-series laptops that don’t have dedicated graphics, and I’m still not convinced that there’s any meaningful benefit to these higher wattage CPUs, especially when they’re not paired with any kind of dedicated graphics. The performance on the Dell XPS 13 Plus is fine, but you wouldn’t notice anything over if it uses a U-series chip.
And then there’s battery life, because yes, more wattage in the CPU means that it uses more battery life. A lot of other P-series laptops I’ve used come with bigger batteries, but Dell is still using one that’s 55WHr. On average, I got around four and a half hours of use out of it, but I couldn’t get beyond five hours. This was with the power slider on balanced and the screen brightness set to 50%. If you really want great battery life, you might want to stick with the regular XPS 13, which has a processor that won’t burn through the battery so much.
Should you buy the Dell XPS 13 Plus?
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 is one of the best laptops on the market, so if you’re thinking about buying one, consider the following.
You should buy the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 if:
You want a laptop that feels futuristic
You want the best performance from a 13-inch Dell XPS laptop
You want the best display in a 13-inch laptop
You should not buy the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 if:
You make a lot of video calls, requiring a good webcam
You feel more comfortable with islanded keys
You need dedicated graphics
If you’re not comfortable with islanded keys, you can also look toward the standard Dell XPS 13, which is totally redesigned this year. For dedicated graphics, take a look at the XPS 15 and XPS 17, which are phenomenal products.
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